Of Course I Dare!
by ThatButthole
Summary: "They do say that kisses given in a game don't count, but I understand if he still doesn't dare do it-" Ryuu slammed his hands on the table and loudly exclaimed: "Of course I dare!" No way would the notorious playboy Ryuu Zaou ever let anyone imply he would chicken out of a kiss! He turned to Io with a determined expression, trying to keep up his confidence. Sequel to Very Nice
1. Chapter 1

Kinugawa-senpai's words from the training camp echoed in Ryuu's mind (again) as he was getting ready for school. How could he have been so observant!? Okay, so maybe Ryuu _did_ like Io a little more than as a friend. Oh, to hell with it, who was he kidding? Of course he did. Ryuu Zaou, the master of romance, knew a crush when he had one. Which was often.

But he thought he'd gotten pretty good at hiding his feelings for boys. No better teacher than past experiences. (Ryuu remembered all too well the consequences of confessing to Seito-kun in sixth grade and how they had affected his self-esteem, and was glad he was getting over it.) So _how in the world_ had his senpai (or, judging from Yufuin-senpai's shameless accusations, senpais) noticed? Sure, he and Io hung out a lot and Ryuu was rather open about the appreciation he had for Io and yeah, he got a little touchy every now and again, but the other members of the club didn't even know he was bi! There should have been no way!

Ryuu shivered at the word "bi" he had used in his head. He was still getting used to this whole "maybe gays are not that gross after all" thing. Unlearning attitudes was hard, even if learning about bisexuality on the internet probably saved his life. Or his emotional well-being at least. After years of intense self-doubt, denial and even loathing he sort of accepted that side of himself now but…

Io was Io! Ryuu's best friend! Ryuu was used to falling for people quickly, on public transport, or during group projects in school, or festivals, or whatever, but he'd been close to Io for quite some time, so why now? _Why_ somebody he saw every day and had to act platonic with? He was an open person with his heart on his sleeve, dammit! It wasn't fair!

… Shit. At this rate he'd soon be late again.

Despite the morning's distracting thoughts, Ryuu's day went by completely normally. Nobody suspected a thing. He really was good at this. No wonder, having had months of practice.

After settling on a seat in their clubroom, Ryuu flipped out his phone to see a received message from his latest conquest.

 _ **Yoshiko:**_ _Had fun on our date! Let's meet up again sometime? You COULD even get a kiss ;) maybe_

But how would kissing Io feel like? Ryuu looked back to the kisses he had shared with girls before: the tender brushes of lips, the pecks and bites, the play fights with tongues and licking the insides of each other's mouths. Hands caressing backs and shoulders, light touches on cheeks and playing with the other's hair.

 _ **Ryuu:**_ _oh, arent you eager ;)_

Awkwardness after failing to read the mood. The occasional teeth clattering, bleeding after a little too forceful biting and unwanted giggles at inappropriate times due to being too damn ticklish. Can't have the good without the bad or not-so-good.

 _ **Yoshiko:**_ _Stop teasing. I know you're even more impatient than I am._

Kissing, especially on the lips, was something Ryuu considered almost sacred. A way to stop them from being scared, sad or annoying, a way to confirm whether there were deeper feelings involved or not, a way to find surprising sides of people. Almost always a pleasant experience. Always different.

 _ **Ryuu:**_ _got me there :P hbu next saturday? coffee sound good?_

But Io was Io. Not only was he a boy, he was also someone Ryuu had known for a long time, who he knew better than anyone else, who he could do anything – or nothing at all – with, and would always have a good time.

 _ **Yoshiko:**_ _Gotcha! You know where I live, meet me at 7!_

Ryuu knew _where_ Yoshiko lived, yes, but he didn't know _how_. He didn't know how she behaved when she first woke up in the morning and and what was the last thing she did before going to bed. He didn't know what her parents or siblings were like. He didn't know what type of shampoo she used, if she brushed her teeth before or after breakfast and if she preferred hot or cold water in the shower.

Ryuu didn't know any of those things about any of the girls he had dated. He didn't even know those things about his friends. He had never asked.

But if anyone were to ask those mundane, seemingly meaningless details about Io's life, Ryuu could answer in his sleep. Io was different.

Breaking out of his own world, Ryuu heard his friends discuss meeting at Kurotama bath the next weekend for a slumber party. (Ryuu missed the start of the conversation, but had a strong hunch it was Yufuin-senpai's idea.) No specific reason needed; just friends hanging out, chilling, maybe playing some games.

"I have a date on Saturday, but if it's on Friday, I can make it!"

 _ **Ryuu:**_ _cant wait!_

Friday came and Ryuu made his way to Kurotama, where Yumoto somehow managed to convince everyone to gather around the table to play Truth Or Dare. Something about a chance to learn more about each other, Ryuu thought; the room they were in was kind of hot, Io had opened two top buttons on his pajama top and Ryuu was preoccupied with his collar bones and a hint of the chest he already knew was well toned but damn–

"Ryuu?" Io's voice broke through Ryuu's thoughts and he really hoped Io hadn't noticed him staring. Ryuu hadn't even noticed he'd been zoning out. Damn it, this was becoming a bad habit.

"The bottle is already spinning," Io kindly pointed out. Ryuu turned his head on the bottle, which stopped at Yumoto.

"Yay!" he squealed. "I choose dare!"

"Damn, what can you even ask someone like Yumoto do?" asked Yufuin-senpai and leaned on his arms. "There's nothing fun in bossing around someone who doesn't have a sense of shame to begin with."

Kinugawa-senpai looked at Yumoto seemingly in thought, his hand cupping his chin. "En-chan has a point, Yumoto _is_ a bit of an unexplored territory..."

"Get a passing grade on your next Japanese test," suggested Io with a completely straight face. Even Ryuu couldn't tell if he was being serious or not; it _was_ a ridiculous dare but, knowing Io…

Yumoto huffed in exasperation. "Aah, Io-senpai, that's so _boring!"_

"And aren't dares supposed to be acted out immediately?" asked Kinugawa-senpai. "Plus, we'll have no way of making sure he actually does it."

"True. Hey Yumoto, I dare you to make up a believable excuse for me to ditch this chick next Monday!" was Ryuu's input.

Yumoto smiled cheerfully and answered without blinking: "Tell her you have a family emergency! She can't say no to that!"

"Sweet, thanks! Let's hope she won't ask for details". Ryuu didn't like standing girls up and he liked lying even less, but he had two dates on Monday and had to prioritize. This one was kind of annoying and draining company anyway.

Ryuu didn't see Yufuin-senpai's face, he was typing a message, but senpai sounded taken aback. "Eh, you'd think Yumoto had done this before."

"… I don't think I want to know," said Io. With the voice Ryuu knew well, the one that told he really _didn't_ want to know. Strange how even that sort of voice could sound so endearing coming from Io.

"Me neither," said Kinugawa-senpai. "Let's just spin the bottle again."

Yumoto spun the bottle, and the whole club kept their eyes on it intently until it eventually stopped.

"It's Io-senpai!"

"I choose truth. I don't want to embarrass myself," said Io. Ryuu, who knew what a private person Io was, felt a rush of pride for his best friend for finally trusting their other friends enough to be willing to reveal something – and maybe a little jealousy that he wasn't the only one he trusted anymore. But then again, none of others could ever have _such_ a strong bond with him, and Ryuu was happy about that. He knew it was a little selfish, but wasn't liking someone a little selfish in the first place?

"Right, is there something in your life you especially regret?" asked Yufuin-senpai.

Io averted his eyes from him and – did he just shot the quickest glance at Ryuu? In any case, he suddenly looked a _lot_ more self-conscious.

"My preteen years were… not the proudest." He started, now apparently making a point of not meeting anyone's eyes. "I tried really hard to blend in with the adults and make them take me seriously by using expressions and vocabulary uncharacteristic to someone my age and by being overly serious and assertive about everything, even when I didn't really know what I was talking about. In retrospect, I was only making a fool out of myself."

"Is that the eighth grade syndrome…?" commented Atsushi.

"People do call it that, yes."

Ryuu snorted, and immediately felt bad after seeing Io flinch the tiniest bit. Oh no. Now he hurt him. Io confided in them all and told something he was embarrassed about and his best friend laughed at him. When would Ryuu ever learn to control himself…

"Okay, I get why you would think that's sort of uncool," he started quickly, aiming to relieve the tension, "But you knew all those fancy words when you were real young! It's just one more proof of your intelligence!" He was glad to see Io untense a little.

After that, the game continued like a game of Truth and Dare usually goes, everyone making up equally stupid dares (Kinugawa-senpai had to stuff ten marshmallows into his mouth and say all their names) and learning more truths about each other (Yufuin-senpai admitted to sometimes singing on his free time but wouldn't give a sample).

Then the moment Ryuu had been waiting for with both fear and excitement came and the bottle stopped at him. He immediately announced he'd be choosing dare, and shot the others a wide, confident grin, daring them to bring it on. God, he had been waiting to show what he was made of!

His grin melted when he saw the way Kinugawa-senpai was looking at him like he had an evil masterplan. Yufuin-senpai shot Kinugawa-senpai a look that clearly conveyed the message "don't", but he pointedly ignored it. How characteristic, his "dark side" was emerging…

"Very well. I dare you to kiss Io." The devious grin from the training camp made a reappearance, much to Ryuu's dismay. "On the lips."

"What!" Ryuu yelped. He felt his face heat up and turned to look at Io, who looked positively scandalized. They just wouldn't catch a break tonight, would they…

"Ki… Kinugawa-senpai, it would be too improper to force Ryuu to do something this… intimate against his free will! This is a game where he is in no position to refuse, it's unfair!"

"Maybe," admitted Kinugawa-senpai, sounding to Ryuu like he was _trying_ to sound like he might have regretted it. Which he obviously didn't. "They do say that kisses given in a game of Spin the Bottle don't count, but I understand if he still doesn't dare do it–"

It sounded like Kinugawa-senpai was about to continue, but he didn't get a chance to do so. Ryuu slammed his hands on the table and loudly exclaimed: "Of course I dare!" No _way_ would the notorious playboy Ryuu Zaou ever let anyone imply he would chicken out of a kiss! He turned to Io with a determined expression.

"Well…" Ryuu chuckled, trying to keep up his confidence, and gulped. "Let's do it, then!"

It… Wasn't what he was expecting. Not at all, and Ryuu wasn't sure how to feel about it. There were no fireworks, no explosions in his heart or brain, it didn't feel like the world around them disappeared or like they were floating through time and space. Nothing like the big getting together in a romance movie or manga.

Ryuu had just done what he usually did: approached slowly, making sure what he was doing was alright; looked at Io's eyes and lips in turns under his own gradually closing eyelids; noted what Io seemed to be feeling about all of this (he read Io well and was quite confused about what he found; he thought Io had looked somehow… Expecting? Maybe even excited? Hopeful? Unbelieving? Why?) and finally closed his lips around Io's lower one, closing his eyes entirely and moving his lips. (For his great relief, Io returned the kiss.) Nothing unusual. Yet this wasn't like the other times - not only because his partner was of the same gender and Ryuu's very favorite person.

It was not magical or phenomenal, just natural. Like this was how things were supposed to be, like this was something they had been supposed to be doing for so long. The surrounding world or their friends didn't disappear: Ryuu was still aware of their presence, he just found himself not caring. He didn't feel like he was ascending to the Heavens; actually, he felt even more in touch with everything and more _present_ in the moment. This was, on some fucked-up level, his natural habitat. He didn't want to let go.

But in order to not blow his cover, he had to. Keeping this up any longer could be weird. So, trying his hardest to act natural and nonchalant and not show his reluctance, Ryuu ended the kiss. Only centimeters away from his face, Io opened his eyes slowly and stared at Ryuu blankly, his gaze hazed and unfocused. Ryuu had never seen Io _this_ out of it, and although his own mind wasn't at its sharpest either and his emotions flew all over the place, he felt a strange sense of pride for being responsible for it.

It was even better when Io's face broke into a wide, content smile. And if Ryuu's ability to read Io was still there, several of the emotions the kiss had made him feel were mutual.

Maybe he would have to do some inventory on his calendar app.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later things had gone back to normal, as long as Ryuu was aware. He now knew for sure he was in too deep and had his suspicions that Io liked him too, but as usual, they hadn't talked about it.

As of now, they were doing what they did best: hanging out in Io's room in comfortable silence, both browsing their electronics, Io sitting on the edge of his bed with a laptop and Ryuu on the floor with his phone having an idle text chat with a girl he'd briefly met at the mall.

As the conversation seemed to naturally slip to its end, Ryuu placed his phone on the floor and turned to look at Io. His working face really was attractive; stern in a way Ryuu found extremely charismatic, with the occasional twitch or furrow of eyebrows or pursing of lips. Lips Ryuu now knew fit against his surprisingly well.

Then Io did that thing he often did when intrigued or exasperated: raised his hand up a little, his index finger gracing his chin, and Ryuu didn't even know why he liked that particular gesture so much (maybe it was just because it was something _Io_ did and Ryuu had grown accustomed to linking things Io did with good things) but he liked it a lot, and couldn't stay still. Ryuu rose to his knees and crossed his arms on top of the laptop lid, careful not to cover the screen, and just… looked at Io. In all his grace. Io glanced at Ryuu, but noting he didn't have anything to say, turned back to his work. This time with the tiniest of smiles, which made Ryuu feel nicely appreciated.

Ryuu watched Io in silence for a while. He wasn't even thinking of anything, just taking in every inch of Io's face, before opening his mouth on impulse. "How come you're so pretty?"

Io frowned a little and lifted his gaze from his laptop to properly look at Ryuu, his expression shifting into something more puzzled, a little taken aback. Oh god, what if Io didn't like being called pretty? Would "handsome" have been better? Ryuu could easily call Io handsome, too…

"I should be the one asking you that," said Io, and Ryuu silently thanked the heavens that he looked and sounded more amused than anything, "Mr. Officially-The-Third-Prettiest-Boy-In-School." Io turned back to the screen but didn't start typing again just yet.

Ryuu scoffed. Yeah, he was pretty, but for once it was irrelevant to what he had to say. "Tied third with Gero. And that's not the point here."

"If you ask me, you're the unrivaled first. What is the point here then?" Io turned to face Ryuu once more, again with that heavenly smile.

Ryuu somehow managed to let the compliment slide, no matter how giddy it made him feel to hear that from Io. With the fond look Io was giving him, to top it all off.

"That you're one hell of a good-looking guy and don't even seem like you care! You should be higher in the polls; you're hot, smart, dedicated and probably have a secretly gathering fanclub! Seriously, how come you don't place in the top three every month?"

That made Io speechless. Not for long though; it took more to make Naruko Io lose his wits. Incredible, that guy, thought Ryuu. Not for the first time.

"…I don't have a clear answer to that. Teenagers are unpredictable and easily swayed," replied Io, a small blush on his smooth cheeks. "As to me not caring… A good reputation and certain likeability are of use when making business connections, but I don't think a superficial high school popularity contest would amount to much on a résumé. I don't put my effort in anything that isn't profitable when there are more important matters to focus on."

"That's our Io," mumbled Ryuu, then spoke more clearly: "But at least you _know_ how attractive you are, right?"

"I suppose I could call myself 'attractive' on current mainstream standards," was Io's level-headed reply. Like this didn't faze him at all. That casual confidence of his…

"You so can," continued Ryuu. "Your skin is all smooth, you've got pretty eyes, you iwork out,/i and your hairstyle…" Ryuu untucked his arm from under the other one on top of the laptop lid and reached forward, slipped his fingers under Io's bangs and brushed a part of them to the side, getting a clear view of Io's forehead. "You're the only one who could ever pull it off, and it looks _so good on you."_

Io's face was bright red now. Absolutely adorable.

For a moment they just stayed there, Ryuu playing with locks of Io's pretty pastel green hair and Io seemingly enjoying the touch. Then Ryuu felt bold enough to start slowly moving his hand down Io's face, closer to his cheeks. Io tugged on his laptop and Ryuu quickly drew his hand back to lift his arms off. Io chuckled.

"No need to look so startled, I'm just moving my laptop away from between us."

Had Ryuu looked startled? Possibly; he had gotten a bit scared that he had went too far and that Io wanted to continue working, and showing his emotions openly came to him so naturally he mostly knew what face he was making by watching Io's reactions.

In any case, Ryuu took this as a permission to move closer (that's what it _had_ to mean, right?) and rose up to his feet. He placed one of his knees on the bed in between Io's legs and his hand next to them so he could lean forward without losing his balance.

"But really, you're gorgeous," Ryuu almost whispered. He carefully set his other hand on the side of Io's face and started to caress it with his thumb. Honestly, Ryuu might have been a very cute guy himself, but somehow Io managed to combine youthful prettiness with a mature charm Ryuu thought he mostly lacked. How unfair, to have the best of both worlds like that.

Io raised one of his hands to lay on top of Ryuu's. "I wouldn't go as far as describing my looks as 'gorgeous'. Especially not after having to see you every day."

"That almost sounds like you're tired of me!"

"That couldn't possibly be further away from the truth."

They stared at each other for a few tension-filled seconds, until Io took a hold of Ryuu's chin with the tips of his fingers. Ryuu's eyes widened and he had no time to react before Io pulled his face forward ever so gently, and gave his lips a quick, tiny kiss.

"How could I ever get tired of the most valuable thing in my life?" asked Io, very serious.

Ryuu's mind short-circuited and he couldn't help himself; he let out a bright laugh. Right now, he couldn't produce any thoughts that could be put to words, but a nice compensating amount of feelings. Io just kissed him unprompted. And Ryuu was very aware that whatever it was that was going on, he definitely liked it.

"Ahahah… Ok. Great," was all he could manage to get out. Ryuu suspected he must also have been grinning like an idiot. Where did all his suave charm always go when Io was present?

Ryuu took a breath and gathered his thoughts. And oh god, why did Io look so concerned?

"That… Was that what you wanted?" asked Io, and Ryuu figured that it meant that "that" was most likely what Io wanted. He didn't even bother answering verbally; his words would have failed him anyway, so...

He kissed Io lightly, like Io himself had done. Ryuu pulled away briefly, flashed a smile, and went back for more, still trying to keep it sweet. Ryuu wasn't known to be the most considerate, but he could try…

Holding back had been in vain though; Io soon nibbled on Ryuu's upper lip more demandingly. Ryuu replied by giving Io's lip a small, experimental lick. Io let out a quick, almost non-audible gasp and Ryuu felt something landing on his shoulder. What was it… Oh. A hand. Slender fingers, hesitant, caring.

The hand then started making its way down, putting in more pressure, until it and a forearm were pressed on Ryuu's back with such force it made Ryuu lean on Io even more. Yep, Io was pulling him closer, and they both put more force into kissing; now sucking and biting gently. It was a little strange, Ryuu had never thought Io to be the touchy type… But he had absolutely no complaints.

He raised his arm, placed it on Io's shoulder and took a hold of the back of his friend's head. Two can play this game, he thought, and if being as close as physically possible was what Io wanted, Ryuu sure as hell wanted it too.

Io then surprised Ryuu again by licking his lips seductively slowly. Ryuu parted his lips to let Io's tongue into his mouth, marveling how much more aggressive Io was than he had thought. And oh, fuck, how could he be so good at tongue kissing too? Who had Io been practicing with behind Ryuu's back?!

As the kiss got more and more heated, Io pulled Ryuu closer, until they both fell backwards onto the bed. The kissing soon turned into a sloppy make-out session, and Ryuu could have kept going on forever… But of course, Io's phone had to ring. Ryuu groaned but, knowing it might be really important, rolled over (albeit reluctantly) so Io could get up and see who was calling. He had to admit he was glad to see Io looked just as irritated.

Io sighed as he saw the caller ID. "It's my mom," he explained, and Ryuu understood. Io didn't live with his parents and his relationship to them was rather distant, but they kept in touch in the form of about-monthly phone calls. And those calls tended to get quite long.

Io shot Ryuu an apologetic smile pressing the answer button. "Do you want to stay the night?" he asked before lifting the phone to his ear and greeting his mother.

"Yeah," nodded Ryuu. Io replied with the widest smile. And Ryuu knew he was blessed to have that smile directed at him for something as simple as staying.


End file.
